Bad News and Sleepless Nights
by Justicerocks
Summary: Gabby's mother gives her and Antonio some life changing news meanwhile Ellie has night terrors due to sleeping in her new bed. 14th in "AE&J" Series.


**A\N:** A huge thank you once again to all of you who've been reading and reviewing the stories in this series. All of you keep the inspiration going.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, NBC or Global.

 **Spoilers:** None

 **Warnings** **:** Talk of death and dying and how it affects people. Also, border-line M rated flirting between Gabby and Matt via telephone call.

* * *

 **Bad News and Sleepless Nights**

"MOMMY!" Ellie screamed as loud as she could, tears falling quickly from her eyes, "MOMMY!"

"Ellie!" Gabby came rushing into her daughter's bedroom thinking something terrible had happened.

"Mommy, I nared," She cried, "Crib." She pouted.

"Oh sweetie there's nothing to be afraid of in your new bed," She flicked on the light, "You have your bear and your night light. What's wrong?"

"No bed."

"But you're a big girl now. Big girls sleep in big girl beds." Using the 'big girl' line seemed to work on Ellie accept when it came to potty training or sleeping in a bed, then her stubbornness came through.

"No," She began to cry again, "Mommy stay?"

"Oh no sweetheart you just get some rest," She knew that if she stayed now it would become a habit and she didn't want that.

"Nory?" She reached for her favourite book, one with Spanish fairy tales in it.

"Okay I'll finish reading the story," She picked up the book and found out where they left off. She began reading and within twenty minutes Ellie had fallen back asleep. "Good night sweetheart," Gabby kissed her on the forehead and left the room leaving the door open just a little.

She then checked on Jacob and Andy before heading off towards the master bedroom to call Matt before she got ready for bed herself. She was about to hit the 'call' button on her phone when she heard Ellie scream and then a loud thump.

"Ellie!" Gabby ran into the room and saw what she had feared all along, she'd fallen out of the bed and was laying on the carpet in tears. "Come here baby," She sat down on the ground and put her daughter into her lap.

Gabby knew on a quick examination that her daughter wasn't badly injured, just a few soft bruises and a visibly scared Ellie.

"Sweetheart, how did you fall?" She wondered, there were toddler rails where her pillow was and stopped at about the length of her arm.

"You left!" She sobbed. "Mommy stay!"

"Oh sweetheart," She rocked her back and fourth, "I know its scary sleeping in this new bed but you're safe. Why are you so scared?"

Ellie didn't answer she just kept crying.

"You're so tired sweetie," Gabby lifted her up and tucked her back into bed, "Just get some sleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night and are scared you come and get me."

"Daddy be home?"

"Daddy will be home in the morning when you wake-up. Remember he's at work saving people."

"Daddy be okay?"

Gabby didn't like it when her kids asked her that question; she knew she couldn't answer I honestly but she never wanted them to worry, "You know Daddy can't make any promises; he loves you so much."

"Miss Daddy Mommy," She yawned as she snuggled her teddy bear close to her.

"I know you do baby girl," She kissed her again and watched her fall asleep. She stood in the room for about a half an hour and Ellie didn't wake-up again. She then went into her room and called Matt.

"Hey babe," He picked up after the second ring.

"Hey," She greeted, "How're you doing? Any calls yet?"

"No not yet; been a pretty slow night. How was your night?"

"Ellie's having a hard time sleeping in her new bed. I don't know what she's afraid of but she keeps waking up. I really hope she's not having night terrors."

"Night terrors?"

"They're nightmares young kids can have. I had then when I was Ellie's age until I was five. They wake up screaming and crying but they don't remember anything after a few seconds or minutes."

"Is it serious?"

"No, no just scary for us, but they don't remember anything. We'll have to keep a close eye on things and see if they continue or not. Once she gets used to her bed they might stop, sometimes they can be brought on by a change and going from a crib to a bed is defiantly a change."

"Right. Have I ever told you how smart you are?"

She blushed, "Yeah but I like it."

"So are you getting undressed?" He asked shutting the door to his office for some privacy.

"Maybe," She slowly began to take off her clothes and change into one of Matt's t-shirts she'd claimed as her own.

"Are you going to where my old fire academy t-shirt?"

"I am wearing it. With nothing else on," She informed him.

"Gabby," He moaned out, "You're making me need a cold shower."

"Good."

"You want me to have a cold shower?"

"Only if I take a shower with you."

"Reminds me of how Andy was conceived."

"Now that was fun," She blushed and giggled at the memory, "Sneaking off into the showers during shift."

"Yeah," He agreed, "Very fun."

"You have to go," She recognized all to well the call bells going off in the distance, "Be safe and remember I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too."

* * *

Gabby slowly walked up to the steps of her parent's house. Her mother had called her a few days ago and asked if she could come over for lunch, said she needed to tell her and Antonio something. She knew it was going to be something bad, the reason why she'd been feeling so off lately. Whatever it was she knew it couldn't be good. Nervously she knocked on the door.

"Ah, Gabriela," Jose' opened the door and let his daughter into he house, "Your mother and brother are in the living room."

"Dad," She took off her shoes and put them in the hall closet, "What's wrong?"

"That's something your mother needs to tell you," He led her into the living room.

"Right," She responded nervously as she joined Antonio on the couch, he was looking just as worried as she was if not more worried.

"Alright," Esmeralda took a deep breath, "I guess you want to know why… I should just tell you… I have Alzheimer's."

"Alzheimer's," Antonio was the first one to speak, "Didn't Abuelo die of that?"

"Yes." Esmeralda told him, "That's right."

"That- there's no cure for that," Gabby gulped, "You'll just get worse right I mean…."

Antonio took her into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder, "There are medications. I mean it can be prolonged."

"Yes, but they have side effects its something I need to think about. I'm seeing a specialist in two weeks."

"I want to go with you," Gabby looked at her. "I need to go with you."

Esmeralda nodded, she hated seeing her children so upset. Gabriela was crying but she knew her son was crying on the inside, he hardly ever showed emotion, always thought he needed to be strong for people.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick," Antonio shook his head, "Ma please tell me you just found out."

"I found out last week but I didn't want to ruin Ellie's birthday party."

"Ellie," Gabby just remembered her kids, "What I'm I going to tell them? And Matt."

"You don't have to tell the kids if you don't want to, that's up to you Gabby. I will be getting worse over the next few year though and Andy will notice a difference."

"I just can't believe this," She shook her head, "None of it seems real. I don't want to think of life without you."

"I know sweetheart," She tried her best to soothe her, "But luckily we have a long time to go before we have to think about that. For now we're thinking a nice family vacation would be nice.'

"Yeah," Antonio tries to smile, "That sounds good."

"I should go," Gabby suddenly stood, "I'm not hungry anymore," She got up and left the room and then her parents house all together. She couldn't think straight she was halfway to her car when her mother came out.

"Gabriela, I don't want you driving when you're like this. Call Matt and he can come and get you."

"No…. No…" She began sobbing, "How could you tell us over lunch mom? I knew it was bad but… I just I don't know what I expected."

"Just call Matt and I'm sure you can figure out something," She pulled her into a hug.

"Uh-huh," She took out her cell phone and dialled her husband's cell phone number.

"Hey Gabby," Matt picked up on the third ring, "So was it as bad as you thought?" He knew how much his wife was worried about going to lunch at her parents.

"My Mom's dying Matt."

"What?" He looked at the kids who were playing just a room away and again lowered her voice, "Dying?" He all but whispered

"She has Alzheimer's disease. Matt there's no cure!"

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can. I'll just get someone to watch the kids."

"I don't want them to know."

"No, no of course not," He assured her, "You're not alone right? Your parents are there and Antonio's still there."

"Yeah. I guess I'm alright but just…" She couldn't finish.

"I know I love you."

"I love you too," She waited until he hung up before doing the same.

Half an hour later Kelly dropped Matt off at his in-law's house in his car. He walked up to the house and knocked on the door Gabby opened it and immediately fell into his arms, her face red and swollen from crying.

"Ssh, baby," He soothed her as best as he could, "You want to head home or stay here?"

"I…. I…." She tried to say more but couldn't.

"Hi Matt," Jose came to the door.

"Hi," Matt responded, "I'm so sorry," Was all he could think of to say.

"Thanks, she's upstairs sleeping but you're more then welcome to stay, Antonio went home to talk to Laura and the kids, he said he might come back tomorrow maybe."

"That's alright, I'll let you two have some time alone, to process things. Call if you need anything," He led Gabby towards her car.

"You too," He said and shut the door after him.

"Give me the keys sweetie," Matt gently encouraged his wife, "I don't want you driving."

"Uh-huh," She nodded and handed over the keys before slumping into the passenger seat, "I can't believe this is happening!"

"I know sweetie but it'll be alright."

"How? My Mom's dying Matt! There's no cure for this! Only treatments that prolong it!"

"I don't know what else to say," He admitted.

"Don't say anything just leave me alone."

"Alright," He nodded and started to drive back to their house. The kids were spending the rest of the day and night with Kelly and Brianne so they had some time to themselves.

"I'm just going to so lay down," Gabby slowly took off her shoes and made her way up the stairs and towards the master bedroom. Once she got there she just collapsed on the bed, to weak to do anything else. She didn't even notice Matt follow her into the room.

"Oh sweetie," He lied don on the bed next to her and wrapped her in his arms, there foreheads touching, "Just rest."

"I don't even know what I'm going to do without her… and the kids," She shook her head and began sobbing.

"We'll figure it out. We have time," He did his best to soothe her but nothing seemed to be working, which bothered him because he wanted to make all of the pain go away.

"How I'm I suppose to get through all of this?"

"I don't know but I know that I'll be there for you every step of the way and so will the kids. I can tell you that."

"I don't want to tell the kids yet, they'll so young and I don't think they'll understand yet. Maybe, maybe when she's worse."

"Whatever you want.'

"Stay with me?"

"Always," He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead and rubbed her back in soothing circles.

* * *

"Mommy?" Andy walked to his mother, a concerned look on his face, "Are you sad?" He asked. It was Saturday afternoon and Gabby and Matt had picked the kids up around an hour and a half ago.

She turned her attention away from her youngest onto her oldest, "No, no I'm fine just a little tired. I'll watch you ride your bike." She changed the subject.

"Yeah Uncle Kelly said I could ride a two-wheeler soon!" He announced excitedly.

"He said maybe next summer," Matt reminded him, "Now how about you come here and we can practice some hockey shots. Like your mother said she's pretty tired."

"But why?" Andy wondered.

"Why Mommy?" Ellie also wanted to know why her mother was sad.

"Hey, hey who's going to play hockey with me?" Matt changed the subject, knowing Gabby didn't want to tell the kids yet.

"I will," Andy turned and went to where his father was setting up the nets.

"Mommy be better?" Ellie stopped her chalk drawings and went to sit in her mother's lap.

"Hopefully sweetie," Gabby kissed her and held her in her arms.

 **TBC**

* * *

 **A\N:** So, what did you think? Please review and let me know.

 **Up Next:** Gabby struggles to come to terms with her mothers illness and Ellie continues to have night terrors.


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